Hello and welcome to Episode 325 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

Are you stuck doing everything yourself because handing work over feels harder than just getting it done? Maybe you’ve thought about hiring a virtual assistant before, but the whole process feels confusing, risky, or like one more thing to manage when you’re already flat out putting out fires in your business.

This week I’m sharing a conversation from The Australian Small Business Show, where I joined Kristy Smith from Virtual Elves to talk about what business owners really need to know about working with offshore virtual assistants. I wanted to bring this conversation to you because I keep seeing small business owners hit capacity, but assume their only option is hiring locally into a permanent role. The reality is there are far more flexible ways to get support in your business, if you approach it strategically.

We unpack how the role of a “VA” has changed over the years and why businesses now have access to highly skilled global talent across administration, bookkeeping, customer service, marketing, SEO, and more. We also talk honestly about the mistakes many business owners make when hiring offshore support, including expecting one person to magically do every job in the business. One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that success with virtual assistants has far less to do with where someone is located, and far more to do with your systems, communication, leadership, and expectations. If you’ve ever wondered whether offshore support could help you buy back time, reduce overwhelm, and stop being the bottleneck in your business, this conversation will give you practical insights to help you decide what could work for you.

In this episode we cover:

• How offshore virtual assistants can support growing small businesses
• Why expecting one VA to “do everything” usually creates problems
• The types of specialised skills now available through global talent
• Why systems, processes, and clear briefs matter more than location
• The legal and risk considerations business owners need to understand when hiring internationally

Links & Resources:

Join People Powered HR:

https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/pphr

DM me on Instagram @kristy.lee.billett

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyleebillett/

Email me at hello@peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au

Book a 15-minute clarity call:

https://calendly.com/kristyleebillett/chat

What this episode covers

Hiring support in a small business does not always mean bringing on a local employee straight away. Offshore virtual assistants can provide specialised support across administration, bookkeeping, customer service, marketing, and operations, helping business owners free up time and focus on higher value work.

This episode explores how to successfully work with offshore team members, what realistic expectations look like, and why strong systems and communication are essential if you want outsourcing to actually reduce stress instead of creating more work.

Key insight from this episode

The success of an offshore virtual assistant arrangement is rarely determined by where the person lives. The businesses that get the best results are the ones with clear systems, defined responsibilities, realistic expectations, and strong leadership. Outsourcing without structure simply shifts the chaos to someone else.

What you'll take away

• Understand the different types of work that can realistically be outsourced to virtual assistants
• Learn why hiring multiple specialists is often more effective than relying on one generalist
• Identify the systems and processes you need before bringing on offshore support
• Recognise the common mistakes business owners make when outsourcing work internationally
• Gain a clearer understanding of the legal and operational considerations involved in offshore hiring

Hello and welcome to Episode 324 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

Are your interviews actually helping you hire the right person… or are you accidentally feeding candidates the exact answers you want to hear?

If you've ever walked away from an interview thinking someone was perfect, only to realise a few weeks later they were all talk and no substance, you're definitely not alone. So many small business owners feel awkward or unsure in interviews, and that often leads to hiring decisions based on gut feel alone, instead of the right information.

I keep seeing business owners make the same mistakes in interviews. They spend the first five minutes explaining the role, the business and exactly what they’re looking for, which makes it incredibly easy for candidates to mirror back the “perfect” answers. The reality is, interviewing is still one of the most important hiring tools you have in your business, and learning how to ask better questions can completely change the quality of people you bring into your team.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the three critical types of interview questions every small business owner should be using in their hiring process. I share why behavioural interview questions are so powerful, how to spot red flags in vague answers, and why understanding someone’s work style and values matters just as much as their experience on paper.

I also talk about what to do after the interview, including the notes you should be taking immediately while your instincts and observations are still fresh. If you’ve ever struggled with recruitment, staff fit, or making confident hiring decisions, this episode will help you interview with far more clarity and confidence.

In this episode we cover:

• The biggest mistakes business owners make in interviews
• Why behavioural interview questions reveal more honest answers
• How to identify work style mismatches before making a hire
• The subtle clues that show whether someone will fit your team culture
• What notes to take after an interview to make better hiring decisions

Links & Resources:

Join People Powered HR:

https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/pphr

DM me on Instagram @kristy.lee.billett

Connect with me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyleebillett/

Email me at hello@peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au

Book a 15-minute clarity call:

https://calendly.com/kristyleebillett/chat

What this episode covers

Hiring the wrong person is expensive, frustrating and exhausting for small business owners, especially when the interview felt like it went well at the time. This episode explains how to ask interview questions that uncover real behaviours, work styles and values, rather than rehearsed answers designed to impress.

Small business owners will learn how to run more effective interviews, spot red flags earlier, and make hiring decisions with greater confidence. The episode also explores why relying too heavily on resumes and experience can lead to poor recruitment outcomes.

Key insight from this episode

The quality of your interview questions directly impacts the quality of your hiring decisions. When candidates are asked to explain real past experiences and practical work preferences, it becomes much harder for them to simply tell you what you want to hear, and much easier for you to assess genuine fit and capability.

What you'll take away

• How to structure interviews so candidates reveal genuine behaviours and experiences
• The difference between practical, behavioural and culture-fit interview questions
• What vague interview answers can signal about a candidate’s experience or honesty
• How to identify whether someone’s preferred work style aligns with the role
• Why post-interview notes and gut instinct both matter in the recruitment process

Hello and welcome to Episode 323 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

Have you reached the point where you know a role in your business no longer makes sense, but the thought of making someone redundant feels overwhelming? Maybe business has changed, technology has improved how work gets done, or you simply can’t justify carrying a salary for a role that’s no longer needed.

The problem is, one wrong step in a redundancy process can land you in serious trouble with Fair Work, and that’s a risk no small business owner wants to take.

I wanted to talk about this because I’m seeing so many businesses going through change right now. Some are restructuring because of economic pressure, some are evolving because of growth, and others are adapting to the impact AI is having on teams and workloads.

Redundancy is often treated like a scary or taboo topic, but the reality is that restructuring your team can sometimes be the most practical and responsible thing you can do as a business owner. The key is making sure you do it properly and legally.

In this episode, I break down exactly what a genuine redundancy actually is under the Fair Work Act, and more importantly, what it is not. I explain the consultation process that many employers completely overlook, why redeployment matters, and when small businesses may not have to pay redundancy pay at all. I also share the biggest mistakes that lead to unfair dismissal claims, including using redundancy to avoid performance management conversations and failing to document the process correctly. If you’ve ever worried about getting redundancy wrong, this episode will help you understand the practical steps that protect both your business and your employees.

In this episode we cover:

• What makes a redundancy “genuine” under Fair Work
• The consultation process employers are legally required to follow
• When redeployment must be considered before ending employment
• Whether small businesses have to pay redundancy pay
• The most common redundancy mistakes that trigger unfair dismissal claims

Links & Resources:

Join People Powered HR: https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/pphr

DM me on Instagram @kristy.lee.billett

Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyleebillett/

Email me at hello@peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au

Book a 15-minute clarity call: https://calendly.com/kristyleebillett/chat

What this episode covers

Making a role redundant can feel incredibly stressful for small business owners, especially when there’s uncertainty around Fair Work obligations, consultation requirements and redundancy pay. This episode explains what a genuine redundancy actually means, when restructuring is appropriate, and how to avoid the costly mistakes that often lead to unfair dismissal claims.

It’s particularly relevant for businesses navigating change, growth, economic pressure or the impact of AI on team structures. By the end of this episode, listeners will understand the key legal and practical steps involved in managing a redundancy process properly.

Key insight from this episode

Redundancy is about the role, not the person. If a business uses redundancy to avoid performance management or skips proper consultation and redeployment considerations, the redundancy may not be considered genuine under Fair Work, leaving the business exposed to unfair dismissal claims and significant financial risk.

What you'll take away

• Understand the three conditions that make a redundancy legally genuine
• Know what meaningful consultation with employees actually looks like
• Be able to identify when redeployment options must be considered
• Learn when small businesses may be exempt from paying redundancy pay
• Recognise the common mistakes that put employers at risk with Fair Work